Why the First Amendment fails to protect speech rights and what to do about it

The First Amendment is the principle guarantor of speech rights in the United States, but the court's interpretations of it often privilege the interests of media owners over those of the broader citizenry. In Speech Rights in America, Laura Stein argues that such rulings prevent the First Amendment from performing its critical role as a protector of free speech, alienate citizens from their rights, and corrupt the essential workings of democracy.

Stein locates the source of clashes over First...